A PIONEERING centre to encourage dialogue between Catholics and Muslims has been established in Birmingham, writes Peter Jennings.
Archbishop Vincent Nichols, assisted by children from the Rosary Primary School, cut the blue ribbon and blessed Maryam House, situated in the grounds of Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Saltley, last Wednesday.
The parish priest, Fr Bernard Kelly, said: “The Maryam Centre hs been established as a place of dialogue between the Catholic community and its Islamic neighbours in the Saltley and Alum Rock districts of east Birmingham.” During a memorable ceremony, the deputy imam of the nearby Zia-ul-Quran Mosque, Hafeez Mohammed Mushtaq, read a passage from the Koran that sings the praises of Mary the Mother of Jesus. Maryam is the Arabic form of the name of Mary.
Archbishop Nichols said afterwards: “This is an exciting and important venture in inter-religious dialogue.”